Go into the house of the lord. This is the day that the lord has made. [applause] and weve come to rejoice and to be glad. Today is a day of remembrance. We remember the past, the past sorrows, the past sadness, the past sacrifices that were made. Its also a day we reflect on the present of our potential, our promise and our possibilities. But today is also a day where we try to reconcile our future. The hurt, the horror and the hope that is to come. On this day, we remember the bombing of the 16th street Baptist Church, where four little girls lost their lives. Addie may collins addie mae collins, denise mcnair, Carole Robertson lost their lives. Our most valuable and our most vulnerable. It took the most valuable, the most vulnerable to galvanize a generation to motivate a movement, to make the better days of birmingham better bitter days of birmingham better. But were here to remember and im glad that everybody has a seat. [laughter] [applause] reverend price as jesus told james and john around the last sum supper table when they were asking for seat, he said, theyre not for me to give. Thats for my father. Then he took a basin and towel and began to watch the disciples feet because he wanted to let them know, if you want to sit in heaven, you better learn how to serve on earth. [applause] were here to worship today. Were going to ask the reverend dr. Thomas wilder to lead us in our invocation. Hes the pastor of the Historic Bethel Baptist Church in collegeville. Will you bow with me as i pray . Our father and our god, we are thankful for this day. Were thankful, lord, that we have awakened to see this day. Were thankful, father, for what our eyes have seen today. Familiar things that we have hoped for, weve prayed for, we have worked for. This day we have seen. We have seen this church restored, we have seen the gathering of people, all races and hues. We have seen the first black female Supreme Court justice. We prayed for it. We fought for it. And now youve allowed our eyes to see it. And now, father, as we see great things from you, teach us how to bask in the presence, how to make that presence holy and sacred. Teach us, father, we pray, how to honor you and honor your presence so that we might honor all men and honor their presence. Thank you, lord, for this day and for your angels who watch over us and keep us in this time and in this day. May everything done and said be done for your glory and for your honor and for our good. It is in jesus name that we pray. Amen. Reverend price as we remain standing, our congregational hymn, great is thy faithfulness. Great is thy faithfulness, o god my father there is no shadow of turning with thee thou changest not, thy compassions, they fail not as thou hast been, thou forever will be great is thy faithfulness great is thy faithfulness morning by morning new mercies i see all i have needed thy hand hath provided great is thy faithfulness, lord, unto me summer and winter and springtime and harvest sun, moon and stars in their courses above join with all nature in manifold witness to thy great faithfulness, mercy and love great is thy faithfulness great is thy faithfulness morning by morning new mercies i see all i have needed thy hand hath provided great is thy faithfulness, lord, unto me pardon for sin and a peace that endureth thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow blessings all mine with 10, 000 beside great is thy faithfulness great is thy faithfulness morning by morning new mercies i see all i have needed thy hand hath provided great is thy faithfulness great is thy faithfulness great is thy faithfulness, lord, unto me reverend price amen. You may be seated in the presence of the lord. September 15, 1963, the sunday School Lesson that day was a love that forgives. Here to give us a synopsis of that sunday School Lesson, ms. Valerie rees harris. [applause] good morning, class. Good morning. I can say that ive done some sunday School Lessons and some summaries but never had a class this large. [laughter] 50 years ago to the day, during this hour, the sunday School Lesson, a love that forgives, was being taught. Im going to go through some things that i think would be very instrumental for us as we are all gathered here today. The first thing were going to talk about is love. What is love . The definition jesus tkpwaoeufrb love depended on the kind of love, a love for god orlov for our neighbor. He defined love, love for god, as obedience to his word. And he defined love, love for your neighbor, as treating your neighbor the same as you would have him treat you. First john 3 1118, remember, youre in sunday school class now, so youre listening. This is the teaching that you have heard from the beginning. We must love each other. Dont be like kane, he belongs to the evil one. He killed his brother, but why did he kill him . Because what kane did was evil and what his brother did was good. We know that we have left death and have come into life. We know this because we love each other as brothers and sisters. Anyone who does not love is still in death. Anyone who hates a fellow believer is a murderer. And you know that no murderer has eternal life. This is how we know what real love is. Jesus gave his life for us. So we should give our lives for each other. As brothers and sisters. Suppose a believer who is rich enough to have all the necessities of life sees a fellow believe who are is poor and does not even have basic needs, what if the rich believer does not help the poor one . Then it is clear that gods love is not in that persons heart. This is the word now. My children, our love should not only be words and talk. No, but our love must be real. We must show our love by the things we do. Anyone who says i believe that jesus is the son of god is a person who lives in god and god lives in that person. So we know the love that god has for us and we trust that love. God is love. Everyone who lives in love lives in god and god lives in them. We love because god first loved us. If we say we love god but hate any of our brothers and sisters and his family, we are liars. This is the word, again, im going to keep repeating, this is the word. This is a summary of the word. If we dont love someone, we have not we have seen how can we love god . We have never seen him. God gave us his command. If we love god, we must also love each other. As brothers and sisters. We want to show how love that forgives comes into play with the text and im going to just have you go back and read the story of joseph starting at genesis 37, i dont have time to go all through it today, but were looking at the 15th chapter. And so we want to show how in genesis 37, how the hand of god was upon josephs life. At the point here in the text, in the 15th verse, israel has died. Their father has died. And the brothers of yo self are wondering if joseph are wondering if he will punish them for the wrong he did to them. At this time, joseph was the governor of the whole country of egypt. He was the man in charge. And there was a famine in the land and everyone had to come to egypt to get food. Ok. But now that their father was dead, josephs brothers became fearful. Now joseph would show his anger and pay us back for all the wrong we did to him. Heres the question. Do we deserve punishment or grace . When josephs brothers speculate as to whether joseph would punish them for the wrong committed against him, we need to think about the wrongs that weve done towards our father. Neglected his word by not reading and studying, not honoring him with our lives. Im going to say that again. Not honoring him with our lives. And our worship. And even those wrongs committed toward one another. The brothers could not believe that joseph did not want to retaliate against them. When we think about ourselves, what has gods response said to you . Whats gods response been to us . Truly, we deserve punishment for our wrongs. But what do we receive from the father . Grace. A favor that we dont deserve. But we have it. Truly we deserve punishment for our wrongs. But we have grace. So they sent this message to joseph. Bring your before your father died, he instructed us to say to you, this is the brothers talking to joseph, please forgive your brothers for the great wrong that they did to you, for their sin in treating you so cruelly. So we the servants of the lord of your father beg you to forgive our sin. Whether joseph received the message, he broke down and wept. But joseph replied, dont be afraid of me. Who am i . Am i god . That i can punish you . You intended to harm me but god intended it for my good. He brought me to this position so i could save the lives of many people. Now, here are four characteristics. Number one, forgiveness is remembering how. Youve been for given forgiven. In christ we are made free by his blood sacrifice. We have forgiveness of sins because of his rich grace. Be kind and helpful to one another. Tender hearted, compassionate, understanding, forgiving one another readily and freely, just as god and christ also for gavee you. Number two. Forgiveness is relinquishing your right to get even. If someone does you wrong, dont try to pay them back by hurting them. Try to do what everyone thinks is right. My friends, dont try to punish anyone who does wrong to you. Wait for god to punish them with his anger. In the scripture the word says, the lord says, i am the one who punishes, i will repay. Number three, forgiveness is responding to evil with good. Dont let evil defeat you. But you defeat evil by doing good. Forgiveness is repeating the process as long as necessary, as long as you have to meditate over and over it in your mind, forgive. As long as it takes. And for some of us it takes longer than others. Do for others what you want them to do for you. Then peter came to jesus and said in matthew 18 21, lord, when someone wont stop doing wrong to me, how many times must i forgive them . Seven times . Jesus answered, i tell you, you must forgive them more than seven times. You must continue to forgive them, even if they do wrong to you 77 times. When you are praying and you remember that you are angry with another person about something, forgive that person. Forgive them so that your father in heaven will also forgive you your sins. God has chosen you and made you his holy people. He loves you. For your new life should be like this, show mercy to others. Be kind, humbled, skwreptle and gentle and patient. Dont be angry with each other but forgive each other. If you feel someone has wronged you, forgive them. Forgive others because the lord forgave you. Together with these things, the most important part of your life is to love each other. Love is what holds everything together in perfect unity. That the peace that christ gives control your thinking, it is peace that you were chosen to be together in one body and always be thankful. Theres a song that i know and im going to read these lyrics to you and im going to close. The song is entitled a heart that forgives. Listen very closely, class, listen very closely. Wake up that person in the back. [laughter] i want a heart that forgives, a heart full of love. One with compassion, just like yours above. One that overcomes evil with goodness and love, like it never happened, never holding a grudge. I want a heart that forgives, that lives and lets live. One that keeps loving over and over again. One that men cant offend. Because your word is within. One that loves without a price like you, lord jesus christ, i want a heart that loves everybody, even my enemy. I want a love like you, be like you, just like you did. I want a heart that forgives. I want a heart that for gives when the forgives when the ones that are croceest, closest, that i have known the longest, hurt me the most. I still want to love them like you love me. Even though im hurting, i want a heart that forgives. When the pain is so deep and its so hard to speak about to anyone, just like your son, i give up my right to hold it against them with hatred inside. I want a heart that loves everybody, even my enemies. I want a love like you, be like you, just like you did. I want to walk like you, talk like you, just like you did. I want to be like you, live like you, just like you did. Because the heart that forgives is the heart that will live totally free from the pain of the past. And the heart that lets go is the heart that will know so much freedom. Lord, i want to let it go. Let it go. God, i need to let it go. Its been holding me back. I dont want it, i dont want it no more. I dont know exactly what to do to get rid of it but ive given you a lesson for that so you know how to get rid of it. This is me, lord, this is me. Lord, i let it go, every person, every person that has hurt me. I let it go, every single hurt, every single pain, i let it go. Because i want a heart that forgives. Thank you for your attention to the lesson from today. [cheers and applause] Freedom Freedomjustice justice Freedom FreedomFreedom Freedom weve got a job to do we cant get freedom until we get through ive got a job weve come here to say that all of gods children weve got a job to do we cant get freedom until we get through [applause] reverend price thank you, thank you, choir, thank you, minister valerie r. Harris, for setting the context. Now to set the occasion. Reverend dr. Christopher hamlin, pastor of tabernacle Baptist Church and former pastor of the 16th street Baptist Church. Good morning. Good morning. Pastor price, justice, honorable mayor, brothers and sisters. Several years ago, before his death on november 15, 2007, was the last to spend time with the reverend john cross, our block offed pastor who served in this congregation 60 years ago. Reverend cross shared that since the bombing and the deaths of four girls and the injuries to members of his church, a day did not pass where he did not think of sunday, september 15, 1963. It haunted him. He continued to dream about it. Even having nightmares. He found hope in the progress made in birmingham, our nation, and global community. But september 15, 1963, remained permanently etched in his memory. We gather today because sunday, september 15, 1963, is permanently etched in our memories. And our hearts and the history of this city and this church. Equally, reverend cross is right. As we gather today to remember the events that brought us here, we honor the lives of more young girls. Addie mae collins, denise mcnair, Carole Robertson, cynthia wesley. We also remember two young boys, Johnny Robertson and virgil ware. They too were taken from us that same afternoon in our city. Like reverend cross, we acknowledge that progress has been made in 60 years. And we do not have to look far to see it. Here in this statuary today, we see the hallmark of that progress in mayor woodman, the youngest mayor in birminghams 152 years of existence as a city. [applause] we see that progress in congresswoman terri sewell, the first africanamerican woman elected to congress from the state of alabama. [applause] tao pbd we see and today we see that progress in the honorable Ketanji Brown jackson. [applause] the first africanamerican woman elected to the Supreme Court of the United States of america. [applause] in acknowledging that progress, brothers and sisters, we are also mindful that there are vestiges of issues from 60 years ago that we certainly, certainly could not imagine to be the issues on the table in 2023. Yet here we are addressing similar issues. And because of where we are as a community, we need to be inspired by familiar and new forces that still challenge us, to let nobody turn us around. We need to be inspired by familiar and new voices that still challenge us to continue to look to the hill from whence comes our help. We must be inspired by familiar and new voices that would challenge us to always make sure that four young girls and two young boys and all the others before and since were not taken from us in vain. So on this occasion, we must honor their lives today, tomorrow and always. Amen. Amen. There are so many elected officials in our audience today. Im going to ask all elected officials, former elected officials to stand so we can greet you at this time. If you are an elected official, amen. Amen. Most appreciative for your service. Sorry i could not get everyone to speak at this service, but we do have the mayor of this city as reverend hamlin pointed out, the youngest mayor in the history of the city, the honorable mayor, randall wilson. [applause] good morning, everyone. Good morning. Its an honor to stand here in 16th street Baptist Church. Reverend price acknowledged all the elected officials. What i do want to take the time to acknowledge and appreciate and show love to the Birmingham City council, who is led by president alexander. Could you and your colleagues please stand one more time. [applause] ladies and gentlemen, as they are standing i want everybody to appreciate that 60 years ago there was a different form of City Government. That former City Government literally allowed police dogs to be siced on peaceful black folks and water hoses to be used on peaceful black protestors. And domestic terrorism in churches and homes and so much more took place, City Government 60 years ago did nothing. So i am grateful 60 years later to work with the council that understands our role and our respond in social justice. Thank you so much. All the members of the 16th street Baptist Church, to associate justice thank you for being here with us. All the children that are here, if you are a child, please stand. You all, we have to acknowledge our young people. [applause] as we remember why we are here, let us also acknowledge our role and responsibilities in the next generation. Last but not least to the victims, families of the four little girls. I am grateful for you. I have watched you all for years, your pain, your struggle. And the loss of your loved ones. Im grateful for you as well. That leads me to acknowledge a fifth little girl. [applause] Sarah Collins, please stand. [applause] ladies and gentlemen, here in this church i have a sounding board in the form of commissioner sheilah, and she often reminds me that there is a fifth little girl in that room when that bomb went off. And i had the privilege a week and a half ago to be interviewed. Prior to my interview i heard Sarah Collins speak. As she shared what the national audience, what she was doing and what those other literal girls were doing right before that bomb went off, the pain in her voice, the scar she still has 60 years later, we think of you, we pray for you, we lift you up, we encourage you, and we love you. [applause] today we stand on sacred ground. We are seated on sacred ground. A generation of birmingham is in pain, birmingham is a battleground for civil rights. The resent kr epbt apex 60 years ago today, a battle that etched the names of four little girls in history. Addie mae collins, denise mcnair, Carole Robertson, and cynthia wesley. Collectively they are known as the four little girls. Its important that we state their names. They are not just statistics of an era that allowed domestic terrorism to run rampant. They were individuals. Young women with hopes. Young women with dreams. They had families. They had friends. They are unlocked potential stripped away by racism and hate. They are the reason 60 years later we still fight. Because the five members of the kkk took the lives of those four little girls and injured 22 more, including Sarah Collins rudolph. It became our call to action. They are the reason birmingham became the battleground, but more than that, this city also became a blueprint for change. September 15, 1963 was a horrific date. That unveiled to our community and the world the ugly brutality of hatred. But it was also a wakeup call. It was a cry to our country who had turned a blind eye so long to this form of hate. And this form of suffering that so many other of our neighbors felt, particularly in the southeast of our country. But it was a turning point in the Civil Rights Movement, one that spurred action over empty words. It was the moment that many of birminghams children realized that they, too, had a role in the fight for justice. They grew up that day. Leaving their innocence behind. September 15, 1963 was the date we realized that we are not juse are change makers, we are justices. September 15, 2023 that mission has not changed. When people of color are victimized by systemic racism, when our family members, friends, and neighbors, are targeted because of their identity whether its race or sexuality, when citizens of this country are still disenfranchised from their constitutional right to vote, we do not cower. We do not take a back seat. We push forward, we defend, and we must continue to fight. We must continue to do it in their name. Addie mae collins, denise mcnair, cynthia wesley, Carole Robertson. We must continue to say their names. From tragedy to triumph we stand on the shoulders of those four girls. We will never forget their sacrifice. We will never forget their names. Thank you. [applause] as we remember our past and retphrebgtd on the present and look reflect on the present and look to reconcile our future, i want to hear from our congresswoman from this district, congresswoman terri sewell. She will come at this time. [applause] good morning. Good morning. Im congresswoman terri sewell, and i have the great honor every day of representing alabamas 7th congressional district. It includes the historic city of birmingham, montgomery, my hometown of selma, marion, and the black belt. It is americas civil rights district. Sir reverend price, and the members of the historic 16th street Baptist Church, i want to thank you for welcoming us year after year. Welcoming us not just now but you welcome people from all over the world who come. We know that this is a living, breathing church. Active in its community, still. [applause] and we thank you. To Justice Jackson, the first black woman to serve on the United StatesSupreme Court, thank you. [applause] your very presence is meaningful in ways you will never, ever, ever truly understand. So today we remember, we reflect, we reconcile, and we rededicate. Today once again we join together with these sacred walls, in these sacred walls and on this haloed ground hollowed hallowed ground, to honor the lives of four precious girls, we do, mr. Mayor, remember them by their names. Addie mae collins, Carole Robertson, Cynthia Morris wesley, and denise mcnair. I say to the families, please stand. We know what a great sacrifice this has been and we just want to show our appreciation. If you are a family member, please stand. [applause] thank you. On this day we also remember and acknowledge Sarah Collins rudolph. The fifth little girl in that basement who survived, but lost her eye. We know and can only imagine the trauma that your life has had. We thank you. We thank you for your sacrifice. [applause] we also acknowledge the death of two young boys later thatp day, Johnny Robinson and virgil ware, ages 16 and 13. Who also lost their life. Hours after the bombing. The horrific events of 60 years ago took more than just the lives of our children. It took their hopes. It took their dreams. It took their future. And it robbed us of their potential. 60 years since their passing, though we can never bring back the lives lost, we can take comfort in knowing that their loss was not in vain. Indeed, it was a senseless death that occurred right here in this church 60 years ago that awakened a slumbering consciousness of america and galvanized the Civil Rights Movement. It was their memory that carried john lewis and those brave foot soldiers unarmed, unafraid across the Edmund Pettus bridge in my hometown of selma, alabama. It was their memory that burned in the minds of president lyndon bainesjohnson as he signed into law the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights act of 1965. [applause] and it was their sacrifice that inspired a generation of Freedom Fighters to move this nation closer to its highest ideals of equality and justice for all. The horrific tragedy that occurred within these walls focused on the the eyes of the world on pweufrpling ham bringing in sharp clarity the injustice of our past. For those of us in birmingham, the bombing served as a reminder set every gain, every win, every advancement in the fight for civil rights has come at a high cost. Paid for by the sacrifices of others. Lets think about that. Every gain has come at a cost. Because of the sacrifice of a little black girl, today we have a black girl that is Vice President of the United States. [applause] we have another black girl who is now a Supreme Court justice. And i get to walk the halls of congress as alabamas first black congresswoman. [applause] Justice Jackson, we can because they cant. The cost of freedom is not free. We are all the direct beneficiaries of their sacrifice, and we must pay it forward. 10 years ago on the 50th anniversary, in 2013, we stood behind president barack obama as he signed the first bill that i ever passed in congress, unanimously passed in congress, a bill to posthumously bestow the congressional gold medal, the highest civilian honor that congress can give to the four little girls. Ensuring that their story, their sacrifice should never, ever be forgotten. After all, those who dont learn from their history are doomed to repeat it. But despite our gains we once again find ourselves at an inflection point. All battles have become new again old battles have become new again. Today we witness attempts to whitewash our history, ban our story from the history books, and roll back our progress. We understand that progress is elusive. And we have to fight to hold on to it. Those efforts remind us of the need to be inglant, because if we dont tell our stories, others will and they wont get it right. It was Coretta Scott king who said struggle is a neverending process, and each generation must earn it and win it in every generation. The question is, what will you do to pay it forward . Because theres lot of work still to be done. Today as we commemorate 60 years of the bombing of this church, as we remember the lives lost and reflect on the significance of this event, let us rededicate ourselves to protecting and advancing the rights and freedoms won by our foremothers and forefathers. Its precious, those rights, and it can be fleeing. We must protect it. The legacy of the four little girls paveed the way for a more equitable and just future. For that we owe it to them to pick up the baton and carry it forward. Thank you. [applause] amen. We are getting close to 10 2t i want to take a little pastoral privilege. Im going to ask the choir to give us a selection. On the other side of 10 22, the minister well do that first. Oh, oh, freedom oh, lord, yes we want our freedom [applause] 10 22. After the sunday School Lesson, i loved that for years. That sunday at 16th street Baptist Church, worship that sunday. As stated, four little girls, addie mae collins, denise mcnair, Cynthia Morris wesley, and carole robinson, were in the bathroom along with Sarah Collins. And at 10 22, 18 days after dr. King said he had a dream, 18 days after dr. King said he wanted his children judged by the content of their character not by the color of their skin, the response to the i have a dream speech in birmingham was to ignite a bomb at the 16th street Baptist Church. Killing those four girls. Later that day, virgil ware, Johnny Robinson lost their lives. To commemorate the lives lost on that day, our sunday School Superintendent and assistant sunday School Superintendent, will come and speak get ready to toll the bells. As we stand the memorium the names, its important we recite their names, will you stand. Addie mae collins. [bell tolling] Cynthia Morris wesley [bell tolling] carole robinson, carol robinson, [bell tolling back [ denise mcnair. Denise mcnair, [bell tolling pwrbg [ Johnny Robinson. Johnny robinson, [bell tolling] virgil ware virgil ware. [bell tolling] thank you. Please be seated. Remember those names. After the bomb went off at 16th street Baptist Church, it was a blast that was literally heard all around the world. Those that look behind in the balcony there was a window donated by the people of wales, they wanted to show their solidarity with the movement. Wanted to make sure that the children of wales could contribute. So no one could contribute more than 5209 wind yes 5 in the window. One hand pushing out hatred. The other open for forgiveness. A rainbow over his head symbolized what god told noah, never again. Different colors in the background, representing different colors, cultures, creeds around the world. Bullets going through his chest. On the bottom four window panes, it says you do it to me, when jesus said you do it to the least of these, you have also done it to me. We have some of the young people from wales here with us today. And we also have the minister for the economy of wales with us today as well. To give us some remarks. The minister for the economy of wales. [applause] pastor price, thank you pastor price, and good morning to you all. Its a great honor to be here with you today. I want to tell you a heartfelt thanks to you for a welcome from the people of wales as you mark both the pivotal and painful moment in the history of your city, your state, and your nation. The feeling of togetherness that you have created here, our strength in unity, is truly possible. To the families of Cynthia Morris wes l. I, carole robinson, and addie may collins, and denise mcnair, we from wales join you in honoring each of them. There has always been moving even from afar to hear about how they enrich the lives of those around them. And they should have been free to enjoy long, fulfilled life. Hate stole their future. Hate pushed neighbors apart. And hate of our people to believe that the color of their skin was a mark of supremacy. It was there in place of solidarity, and it hardened the arteries of once healthy hearts. But was faced in unity, led by your community, that turned suffering into hope. And faith in unity that let children here return that hope into change. And faith in you that even School Children in wales, to donate to your church, despite the critical 4,000 miles that separate them. Four children from places like tiger bay i have the privilege to represent in the welsh parliament, queued up to give over what little money they had. That inspires a new generation to make a better tomorrow, to rise above the hate that continues to fester. It really is a great source of pride for our nation, for the wales window remain the source of strength for your community. Those that contributed the winnow saw your grief and the cruelty that caused it. They felt shock, dismay. For many in the wales of the 1960s, it would have been the first time they truly heard the cries for justice on a scale that was hard to comprehend or ignore. The context may have been difficult to imagine, but the instinct to reach out was simple and powerful. An instant much more than again rossity generosity. It was driven by deep realization the welfare of each of us is bound up in the welfare of all of us. I sense to borrow a phrase f. We do not live together as brothers and sisters, then we will perish together as fools. As a welshman born in africa, a whole generation of black people i grew up drawing strength from this community from a long way away. You led with courage and your enduring commitment to dignity, to justice, and equality have made change feel possible. The Civil Rights Act. My journey from imprisonment to the office of president. And of course the election of president obama. These movements helped to open my eyes on how campaign for justice can become an Irresistible Force for change. I remember dr. King said you had aroused the conscious of the nation. But in truth it was the conscious of the world you stirred. Just as its not inevitable, hardwon progress has been lost. And there are powerful forces who thrive on division, on hate. We are here today to honor the past, and also to recognize the action that we need to take today for the future that we want, for the future that we deserve. Today we make a new vow, to renew our bond we signed in wales into National Friendship pact with the mayor. Yuck people young people from wales here today are helping to strengthen that bond. Volunteers are offering young people the chance to learn from each other with experiences that will last a lifetime. Wales knows a thing or two about choirs. We send them all over the globe including here in the United States. But i can tell that even we were impressed, not just by today by by the university of alabama birmingham gospel choir who won crowds of new friends and admirers when they visited wales. And our first minister of wales who sends his love of solidarity to you today. Whether it was the welsh choir or the incredible choirs with us today, what moved us all is a feeling of unity that it evoked. Many voices becoming one, stronger and more powerful. There is strength in unity. In welsh, [speaking another language]. You read on the plaque marking our gift on the tree that will stand with the cup taour of the four girls that we pay tribute to today. We go go on standing with you in unity inspired by the words of the reverend, we will no longer stand back while the future beckons at dawn. Thank you so very much. [applause] thank you, minister. Thank you for acknowledging Carlton Reese memorial choir and the Miles College choir. You might want to get Miles College over the pond. Ill introduce you to the president after the service. Getting ready to hear from the associate justice, but we have a few more remarks. One from the assistant attorney general kristen clark, who is over the Civil Rights Division. And following her we have a message on behalf of President Biden from steven benjamin, the assistant to the president and the Senior Advisor to the president. And director of the office of Public Engagement. We are going to ask assistant attorney general clark and Stephen Benjamin to come at this time. Good morning. The ku klux klan members who bombed birmingham 16th street Baptist Church on september 15, 1963 about did not know addie mae collins, denise mcnair, carol robertson, and cynthia wesley. They neither knew nor cared that these little girls had mothers and fathers. Families who loved them. That they proudly turned out to church that day in their sunday best. The bombers were not even targeting these girls. The deaths of any africanamericans would due. You see, hatred is blind. The killers could only see black. But these girls were so much more than the color of their skin. So much more than their race. Each was unique with hope and dreams. With talents and tpoeubls, and with that tpoeubls foibles and spark of intrinsic work. Three of the girls would have turned 74 last april. And one would have been 71 this coming november. Who knows what they would have achieved if they had lived. What contributions they would have made. Whose days they would have brightened. What i do know is that their lives, like the lives of all of us, matter. They still mattered. In his eulogy for the girls, dre must be concerned not nearly about who murdered them, but about the system. The way of life, and the ferocity which produced the murderers. 35 years after the bombing, the hatred, denying a persons basic humanity based on their race, still poisoned the hearts of three white supremacist as they tied games bird jr. Behind a car and dragged him to his death on an asphalt road in jasper, texas. Hatred still flourished when two men in wyoming tide 21yearold math,000 shepherd to a split rail fence tortured him just because he was gay. Unless you think we live in more enlightened times the f. B. I. Reports hate crimes climbed to an all time high in 2021. At the Justice Department we have no higher priority than combating this scourge of hate. And we now have the Matthew Shepherd and james byrd junior hate crimes prevention act in our arsenal. We use that statute in obtaining 90 consecutive life sentences against the man who killed 23 hispanic people at an el paso a walmart in el paso, texas. [applause] because he thought there were too many immigrants from mexico. And we likewise charged and convicted three men with hate crimes for shooting and killing ahmadar bury just because he was black. In all since january of 202 1, the department has charged 95 defendants and more than 85 hate crime cases for kit committing biased motivated crimes. We have obtained convictions against more than 830 defendants in hate crimes cases. This work reflects a fundamental obligation of federal law enforcement. Protecting the right of each person to dwell in their home, work at their job, jog down a street, shop at a store, and engage in acts of daily living without fear of attacks based on how they look, where they are from, how they worship, or who they love. We cant forget the context in which the birmingham bombing occurred. The efforts of the Civil Rights Movement to achieve Racial Justice matter now more than ever. As dedicated as we are at the Civil Rights Division to holding the perpetrators of hate crimes accountable and eradicating unlawful acts of hate, we are also continuing the fight against discrimination and for equal justice on many fronts protecting the right to vote, fighting modern day red hrao eurpbing, standing up to police misconduct, and more. Its the fight thats here to reiterate our determination to Carry Forward the battle for civil rights and oppose discrimination and bigotry wherever they arise. Emmett till, the four little girls, james byrd, the charleston nine, ahmad arbury, the buffalo 10, racially motivated hate crimes are a stain on our nations history. But we will forever remember the victims. We will remain steadfast in honoring their lives by vigorously defending civil rights in every way we can. We Will Champion transcend dental ideals of freedom and equality to dispel the discord of hatred and prejudice. By these efforts we will honor the memories of these four little girls and affirm that their lives mattered. Indeed, that black lives matter. Thank you. [applause] its an honor to be here with you and an honor to share this pulpit. I will tell you, told some friends recently, fear of public speaking is real. Especially around all these amazing or raters or raters orators. Now Senior Advisor to the president and running the office of Public Engagement which is the front door to the white house. That represents the sacred trust the president has with the people he serves. Every time i get up to speak i think first time i spoke in my home church in columbia, when i was done, i came up to me. Whim done i give you some money. Why . Because my daddy said you are one of the poorest speakers we ever had. Im going to be brief. Aim going to do im going to do my job. Pastor price. Its an honor to be here with you. I know that protocol has been established. Proud to be here with you certainly as a representative of the white house. Child of the risen christ. This wonderful family. Thank you for allowing us to share this solemn day with you. Two brief missives i want to read and have my seat. From the office of the Vice President. Today the city of birmingham and our entire nation commemorate 60 years since the 16th street Baptist Church. Join you in marking this tragic anniversary reflecting on the decades since and envisioning a future free of violence and hate. On september 15, 1963 this afbgt senseless violence fueled by racism took the lives of four little girls, addie may collins, cynthia wesley, Carole Robertson. A loss to defer all those fighting in our countrys struggle for civil rights. Still the fight for tus teus persisted. Today we honor and remember the girls who lost their lives and survivors are recognized a fate fueled violence must not prevent us from working to fulfill our nations promise of freedom and justice for all. Leaders, organizers, and abg have i teuss arne the country made incredible strides in the months and years following this tragedy, our work is far from over. The Civil Rights Acts and voting right act paved the way. Now we must pass the john louis which is john lewis act. And facing the epidemic of hate and violence we face may we use this moment to inspire us to stand firm in our beliefs and continue to work ahead. Signed by kamala harris, our Vice President. [applause] lastly, also from the white house, the oval office. As you gather on this solemn day, i reflect back when i had to humbly honor the visiting the 16th street Baptist Church. It was deeply moving reminder there are moments in history so shocking that it divides all that came before from all that comes after. These moments force us to confront difficult truths about our society and ourselves. It occurred in the morning of september 15, 1963 when four innocent girls preparing for sunday school were murdered in an unconscionable act of racial hatred. Addie mae, carole, cynthia, and denise were children of god. Each of them with so much to offer. Each of them cherished and loved by their families and community. Each of them taken from an act of evil that went unpunished for decades. This horrific act 60 years ago happened in the wake after high point in american history. In august of 1963, hundreds of thousands of americans from every background descended on washing, d. C. , for the march of jobs and freedom. This march represented the best of who we are. The back clash that came in the 16th street Baptist Church reminds us throughout our history when this nation has taken giant steps forward, we have often been met by one of the oldest, darkest, vicious forces in this country rising up and dragging us now. On this day we remember the hate never fully goes away. It only hides when given oxygen. Its up to all of us and we will not remain silent. Thats why i hosted them at the white house a year ago to counter the corrosive effects of the hate filled violence in america. While we know tragedy cannot be overcome, we refuse to have hate have the final say. Hope and love are our north star. We must remember america is the only country founded on an idea we are all created equal in the image of god and deserve to be treated equally throughout our lives. We never walked away from that promise. Together let us continue to march to redream the soul of our nation. To the families of addie mae, carole, cynthia, and denise, jill and i send you our love and continue you to keep you in our prayers. May god bless their memberries. And god bless you all. Signed by joe biden, president of the United States. [applause] as i take my seat, i will tell you all i am thankful i work for the president. In honor of the four little girls who are frozen, the images frozen in the annals of history, as a girl dad, with two teenage girls in my house. One a freshman at spelman college. Another one planning to take over the world at 16. And the wife of the first blackwoman to serve in the Fourth Circuit court of appeals from South Carolina, i will tell you im also honored to serve a president who trusts black women. [applause] i believe you got the women with you. And you are no longer the poorest speaker anymore. Amen. The moment that we have all been waiting for. Former senator doug jones to come and introduce our speaker. Former senator doug jones was a legal student when former attorney general bill, first pep traited the justice in 1977 for the murder of denise mcnair. I believe it was j. Head tkpwar hoover who closed the case in 1968. He reopened it in 1977. Doug jones got class to watch attorney general backsly try that case. And the 2001 and 2002 he wanted to finish the job. And got convictions for sheri. [applause] teaching us all that justice delayed is never justice denied. He became a senator a few years back. Here to present the associate justice, senator doug jones. [applause] thank you, pastor. Good morning, everyone. Good morning. Honored guests, families of these wonderful children. This has been a long time coming. I want to take just a second, though, we talked about this. I get far too much credit for the cases that were solved. You cant do that on my own. And just like the mayor needed to recognize his cohorts at city hall and city council, i want to recognize some folks also that were a big part. We have for us for the first time as a team, i gathered almost all of my Prosecution Team is here, along with former Alabama Attorney general bill backsly. And i would like to ask all those team members to please stand and be recognized for the work that they did. [applause] thank you for that. For them, thank you very much. Each year, each year we gather at this time, in this place to remember, to honor, to remind ourselves of a past that we should never go back to. But also the hope and the possibilities that our future holds. But this years different. This years different. I have felt it for some time. This years different. Every memorial is significant. But this year, this memorial has far greater meaning for this community, for thaoels families these families, for this country. I think everybody in this sanctuary feels it. In his eulogy for these children, dr. King went through a litany of things that their death said to a shocked nation. He challenged everyone, black and white, political leaders, as was said recently, just a moment ago, they should not be concerned with who murdered the girls. That was left to good prosecutors. We should be concerned with the system and the way of life and the philosophy which produced their murderers. That last phrase is so important. Its not about their death. It is a system that produced their murderers. He challenged each of us by saying that their deaths say to us that we must work passionately and unrelentingly to make the American Dream a reality. And for decades, folks, political leaders on both sides of the aisle seem to heed that call. We saw the Civil Rights Act. We saw the Voting Rights act. Institutions of society. And government heeded that call. Not because of the challenge that was laid down by Martin Luther king jr. , but because of the tragedies. So many of which occurred right here in birmingham, alabama. From the vicious beatings of john lewis and freedom riders in 1961, to the attacks by fire hoses and dogs attacking peaceful youths, some of whom in this audience today. And the spraying in 1963 spring of 1963 and the death of addie, carole, cynthia, and denise and virgil and johnny. Those tragedies woke the conscious of a president , of a congress, and americans across this land. These tragedies woke america from a comalike state that ignored the injustices of jim crow for more than 100 years. I know there are people listening to this, and there will be people that listen to it afterwards, that go, o. M. G. , he just said america was woke. [laughter] you dang right i did, folks. I did. Because what happened, it was a good thing for america. It was a good thing for america that people woke up to those injustices. That recognized where we are as a country. Where we were. Where we needed to go. Its not a bad thing to wake up. [applause] so maybe, just maybe today, in a time when our media friends seem to be more focused on indictments and impeachments that are faulty impeachment, indictments and insurrections, which all are newsworthy, but today, today we must continue to remember our history. The good and the bad. We cannot ever, ever reduce this tragedy of what happened here in birmingham on september 15. We cannot reduce that to a footnote in history like so many people around this country today might want us to do. We cannot ban the books that have been written about this tragedy. [applause] because this tragedy, folks, was not only one of horror, but its one in which hope sprang. Hope for a better life. Hope for a better america. As people acknowledged, as was said, that we are one people. We live here. Now, there is in my admittedly biased opinion no one who best represents that hope, those possibilities than our speaker this morning. As you know, you dont, ill tell you, i had the incredible honor of assisting the president in making the selection for his first nominee to the United StatesSupreme Court, a nominee that he had pledged was going to be a black female. [applause] let me say, i know your relation and so many and teri about black females, but i got to tell you somebody got elected in 2017. I owe a lot to the black females of alabama as well. But i had the incredible hobber honor to assist not only that selection but then the confirmation process which i think she will acknowledge was a pretty grueling, grueling confirmation process. It was often said by our team, though, it was said every day that it was a joyous process. It was one that we had ups and downs, but every day was a joyous day. There was not day that went by that we did not feel the power of what was going on and the joyousness of the process. We saw firsthand what america saw in her confirmation hearings. An accomplished debater in high school. An accomplished lawyer. An accomplished jurist. A devoted wife. And mother. And daughter. With a devoted family. We saw all of that. And i am often asked, what surprised you the most about the confirmation process . I tell them, you know, i think while i knew that this was going to be a historic and inspirational confirmation, nomination and confirmation, what truly became the most surprising was how Ketanji Brown jackson, not a nominee, but a person became the inspiration for so many people around this country. [applause] she handled everything with such grace and dignity. And she is accomplished. Im not going to go through her resume. It would take another 60 years to do that. But i can tell you, and i truly, truly believe this. In our nations history there have been moments when the very essence of our democracy has been tested. And leaders have risen to those challenges. Oddly we are in one of those moments in history again. And i know, i know that Justice Jackson is one of those leaders. A true champion of the ideals that define the United States of america. Throughout her remarkable career, Justice Jackson has displayed an unwavering commitment to fairness and the principles enshrined in our constitution. Her legal mind is a beacon of clarity. And her understanding of the laws impact on the lives of ordinary americans is profound. She brings not only an impressive legal intellect, but also a deep and abiding empathy for the Diverse Voices and experiences that make up this great nation. And i might add they are voices and experience that are growing ever more diverse every day, which is again why it is so important that we remember what happened in 1963. Justice jackson has consistently demonstrated grace, integrity, and unyielding belief in the power of the law to create a more just and equitable society. Her commitment to equal justice under the law is unwavering. Her confirmation to the Supreme Court represents a momentous step to a more inclusive and equitable america. My wife and i had the opportunity to be in washington for her confirm swearingin, the ceremonial swearingin. And be there on opening day of the United StatesSupreme Court. It was something i had to do. It was something i needed to do as a lawyer, as a former senator, as someone who assisted in that process, more importantly as an american. I wanted to be there and look up at the Supreme Court of the United States because for the first time in our United States history, looked like america. Looked like america. And thats why this memorial is so meaningful today. We need america to remember what happened. We need to remember these girls, the other tragedies, and we could give a ton of names more recently. We need to honor them. We need for america to understand the hope and the possibility. And ladies and gentlemen, i have had i have been so blessed to be able to stand at this pulpit on many occasions, introduce some amazing people. I have seen others behind this pulpit, there are great leaders who have spoken, great minister, people of faith. All preaching the same message. Im going to tell you. This day, this day, our speaker doesnt have to say a word. Ive never been introducing someone, ive never seen anybody introduced, that as she ascends these steps and stands at this pulpit, she is the hope, she represents that American Dream. She doesnt have to acknowledge it. She will, i am sure. But her mere presence is the hope, the possibility, the dream. It has been 60 years in the making. Dr. King said that these girls would not have died in vain, and our speaker, Ketanji Brown jackson, is the personification of that today. She is that hope that we lost. She is the possibilities for these girls that we lost. She is what america should be. The dreams. The hopes. The future. Ladies and gentlemen, it is my honor to present associate justice of the United StatesSupreme Court, the honorable Ketanji Brown jackson. [cheers and applause] ms. Jackson thank you. Thank you. [cheers and applause] ms. Jackson thank you all. You may be seated. Let me start by saying good morning. [audience responds good morning] i am truly honored to be here in this holy sanctuary where so much work has been done over the years to move our country forward. Id like to extend my thanks to senator jones for that kind introduction and for graciously agreeing to serve as my host on this visit. I would also like to give my sincerest thanks to reverend price for invite noag speak at todays service. Its a blessing to join you and congresswoman sewell, assistant attorney general clark, mayor woodson and all the other participants and distinguished guests here today as we honor the Lasting Impact of the Civil Rights Movement and pay tribute to those who lost their lives in the great and ongoing struggle toward equality, freedom and justice. Now id be remiss if i did not take a moment to acknowledge at the outset those present now who were also in this church 60 years ago today at the scene of the tragic event that has brought us together. To the survivors and the victims, i cannot imagine the strength that it must take to keep coming back here. After what you have endured. May we all learn from your commitment to this cause and for the grace that you have repeatedly shown even in your longstanding grief. I thought i would begin my remarks this morning by making a confession. That is, i have never been to the state of alabama before. Despite despate growing up in nearby florida and having a mother, aunt, and uncle who are all proud graduates of Tuskegee University [cheers and applause] despite having a godmother who lived in lives in birmingham and is here with me today, i have to admit this is my very first time visiting this great state. I dont want you to get the wrong impression. I am not unfamiliar with this community or what has happened here. I want to assure you that i actually do know a lot about alabama. And in particular about its critical connection to the civil rights struggles of africanamericans during the 1950s and 1960s. So while ive not been to alabama, i can quite confidently say that i know alabama. And if you knew my parents, you would understand why. You see, my parents are africanamericans who grew up in south florida at a time of racial segregation. They came of age during the Civil Rights Movement and they chose to enter the field of education after graduating from historically black colleges and universities in the late 1960s. They were Public School teachers when i was born. Now these facts are important to know because my parents were deeply committed to my education, knowledge, and well being when i was a child. And it is also quite clear that my parents viewed my entry into this world in september of 1970 as a genuine opportunity to nurture the longdenied American Dream. So many africanamericans of their era had been prevented from realizing their foul ten cial. So many dreams had been deferred. And so when i was born, on the other side of the High Water Mark of the movement, a mere two years after congress enacted not one, but two Civil Rights Acts and the Voting Rights act, my parents seized the day. They gave me an african name. And they deliberately set out to ensure that i could do anything i wanted to do. They sought, as their responsibility, to make sure that i was wellequipped to take full advantage of the doors that had been opened and they wanted most of all to prepare me for what they fervently believed would be a great and glorious future. Now this preparation started basically when i was a toddler and bear with me, this is where alabama comes in. As educators my parents understood that if i was going to be successful, i needed to know the truth about a great many things and one of those things was black history. The racebased experiences of africanamericans in this country through the ages. My parents knew black history inside and out and they intentionally set about teaching it to me as a young child. And of course as you well know, alabama is ground zero when it comes to this kind of instruction. So though i have not been here before, i know alabama. I was probably no more than 4 or 5 when i started telling anyone who would listen that on december 1, 1955, ms. Rosa parks said no. When she was asked to give up her seat on a bus in montgomery. I knew that dr. King had spent eight lonely days in a jail right here in birmingham, and i could spot Young John Lewis from almost any angle in those grainy photographs taken in selma on bloody sunday. I also knew that four little girl, not much older than myself, had been murdered at the 16th street Baptist Church when a bomb ripped through the basement. Awakening the nation and the world to the horrors of racebased violence and oppression. I knew those girls were killed simply because they were black and because at that time black people were rising up to demand equal rights. Tough stuff for a child. But my parents never lied to me. And they sincerely believed that i needed to know the truth about what had happened in alabama and elsewhere if i was going to be prepared for life in america. So why am i telling you this . One reason is to emphasize how much it means to me to finally have the opportunity to come and immerse myself in historical and cultural experience i have known about for my entire life. But i do know that my long absence also begs at least two questions. The first is, what took you so long . [laughter] and im sure at least a few of you are thinking that right now. That is a good question. But if youll indulge me what i want to address this morning is the second question, which is, why now . Why . With all the with all thats going on in the courts and in the world right now, would you choose this moment as your first visit to this great state . Ive been thinking about that question a lot. Quite a bit. My motivation for accepting reverend prices kind invitation when there are so many others that i had to politely decline. And i guess the honest answer is, i felt in my spirit that i had to come. [applause] you see, you see, ive been through something over the past year and a half. And its been quite humbling and exhausting and eyeopening as an experience. My journey has been highprofile by nature. And wonderfully supportive people from all over the country have reached out to me to tell me how much my appointment as the first black woman to serve on the Supreme Court of the United States has meant to them. Some have even said they never thought theyd see this happen in their lifetime. And what has happened, i think, is that all the atoangs my race and my gender and the historical nature of my appointment has caused me to develop intense yearnings to better understand why. Why have our nations highest reaches been out of grasp for so many . Why has the opportunity to participate fully in the promise of america been kept from africanamericans for so long . Why has it taken 232 years and 115 prior appointments for a black woman to serve on the Supreme Court . [applause] so ive come to alabama to wrestle with those questions in a community that knows firsthand how difficult the journey has been. A place where people remember what it cost to make it this far. I come with the understanding that i did not reach these professional heights on my own, that people of all races, people of courage and conviction cleared the path for me in the wake of a horrible tragedy that snuffed out the too brief lives of the four little girls inside this sacred space. I have come to alabama with a heart filled with gratitude, for unlike those four little girls, i have lived. And have been entrusted with the solemn responsibility of serving our great nation. A service that i hope will inspire people and especially young people to think about what is possible. To understand the law and to recommit themselves to the constitution and its core values. The rule of law democracy the rule of law, democracy, freedom, justice, and equality. I have also come to alabama to bring a message about what its going to take to ensure that those core Constitutional Values withstand these challenging times. In a nutshell, ive come to alabama to commemorate and mourn, celebrate and warn. [applause] according to websters new world dictionary, to commemorate means to call to mind, to keep alive the memory of, to remind, and there is no better place than birmingham to remind us of our countrys great struggle toward equality. News reports from the late 19 40s to the mid 1960s establish that there were dozens of racerelated bombings in places that africanamericans frequented during that time. As a result, instead of being able to live in peace and security, the black community was terrorized and constantly on high alert. Churches in particular had become and continue to be targets of hate because of what they represent. Because they are promoters of love and faith, that most precious of materials, the substance of things cultural. The evidence of things not seen. And yet, the tragedy that occurred here on september 15, 1963, was singular. We all know the story. But its it bears repeting. 60 years ago today a bundle of dynamite ripped through this church on a sunday morning. Survivor, Sara Collins Rudolph who is with us here today, remembers a deafening sound, almost like a freight train. The blast had been earsplitting but she could still hear a voice crying out that the church had been bombed. Sara was loaded into an ambulance for africanamericans and take ton university hospital, whose entrances and wards were still racially segregated. There were over 20 pieces of glass in her face, including her eyes. The explosion killed saras sister, addie may collins, and three other young girl, denise mcnair, carol robertson, and Cynthia Morris wesley. All of whom had been in that church in this Church Basement that morning. As a mother of two young women, who will always be my little girls, i can imagine no greater horror than to lose a child this way. And even now, six decades later they are magnitude of that tragic loss weighs heavily on all of us. Because those girls were just getting started. They could have broken barriers. They could have shattered ceilings. They could have grown up to be doctors or lawyers or judges appointed to serve on the highest court in our land. They could have been any one of us. And we could have been any one of them. As first corinthians 15 10 reminds us, i am what i am, but by the grace of god. So today, we remember the tolls paid to secure the blessings of liberty for africanamericans and we grieve those four children who were senselessly taken from this earth and their families and robbed of their potential. The theft of those souls and spirits shook and bent our own but we did not break. Indeed it was from the bubble of the bombing of this church that our nation renewed its commitment to justice and equality. The Civil Rights Movement gathered new momentum, resulting in Congress Passage and president johnsons signing of the most significant civil rights bill since reconstruction. American citizens from all over the country stared down state violence and joined together to peacefully march, pray, and make themselves heard. And importantly for present purposes, open defiance of the rule of law which had been marked by pride cries of segregation now, segregation tomorrow, and segregation forever, was finally overcome such that by the time i arrived in the fall of 1970, it was a new day in america. Public schools had been integrated. The doors to the workplace for open to all. And the right to vote, the key to all other rights in our great democracy, had been meaningfully secured. One additional personally Significant Development occurred just three years after the tragedy that we are commemorating today. President johnson appointed Constance Baker motley, a civil rights icon, my personal heroine and birthday twin, to be the first black woman to serve as a judge on the federal court. That happened 57 years ago in 1966. And my, how far we have come since then. According to the latest available figures from the american bar association, there are 59 black women serving as federal judges today. [applause] all of those appointments, including mine, are a bold marker of our nations collective progress. They give new meaning to the four words etched above the Supreme Courts front entrance, equal justice under law. Because they demonstrate plainly that anyone and everyone has an opportunity to thrive. Theyre a tangible reminder that we as a nation have successfully moved out from our gloomy past and that all of us deserve to be protected by our laws. Our of us can exercise the rights guaranteed by our constitution. And we all share in the promise of our democracy. So while our hearts are heavy with remembrance today, we do have something to celebrate. We are blessed to have made significant strides forward as a country since those four little girls entered this building for the last time 60 years ago. Now, that is not to say our work is done. Academics, journalist, researchers, and our own eyes tell us daily that there is more to do in the quest for equality. And that brings me to the warning part of my message. The part where i urge us all to reject complacency and ignorance and work to shore up Democratic Values and the rule of law. As a first order of business, what is needed is for all of us to pay careful attention to what we know. Oppressors of every stripe, from the slave master to the dictator, have recognized for centuries that knowledge is a powerful tool. [applause] they have seen that once acquired it can be wielded and once wielded it is transformative. Knowledge emboldens people and it frees them. The work of our time is maintaining that hardwon freedom, and to do that, were going to need the truth. The whole truth. About our past. [applause] we must teach it to our children and preserve it for theirs. In other words, my parents were right all along. As i explained at the outset, during my time as a youngster my parents taught me lots of uplifting things about places like birmingham and montgomery and sell many and selma. The marchs and the meetings. The sense of empowerment from belonging to a community in action. Like many of you, i cut my teeth on movement songs. Lift every voice and quick. Aint going to let nobody turn me around. Keep your eyes on the prize. Hold on. But my parents also taught me about the darker moments of the time. The dogs. The fire hoses. The bombs. There was a reason my parents felt it was important to introduce me to those uncomfortable topics and it was not to make me feel like a victim or crush my spirit. To the contrary, my parents understood that i had to know those hard truths in order to expand my horizons. They understood that we can only know where we are and where we are going if we realize where weve been. [applause] knowledge of the past is what enables us to mark our forward progress. If were going to continue to move forward as a nation, we cannot allow concern about discomfort to displace knowledge, truth, or history. It is certainly the case that parts of this countrys story can be hard to think about. I know that atrocities like the one youre memorializing today are difficult to remember and relive. But i also know that it is dangerous to forget them. We cannot forget. Because the uncomfortable lessons are often the ones that teach us the most about ourselves. [applause] we cannot forget because we cannot learn from past mistakes we do not know exist. 120 years ago, writing in favor of education for black americans, w. E. B. Dubois mused that the problems of social advance must inevitably come, problems of work and wages, of families and homes, of morals, and the true valuing of the things in life. But he also theorized about the response to these important quandaries, asking, can there be any possible solution other than by study and thought and an appeal to the rich experience of the past . His question and his mission to root out ignorance in this country has become no less urgent in this intervening century. So yes, learning about our countrys history can be painful. But history is also our best teacher. Yes, our past is filled with too much violence, too much hatred, too much prejudice, but can we really say that we are not confronting those same evils now . We have to own even the darkest parts of our past, understand them, and vow never to repeat them. [applause] we must not shield our eyes. We must not shrink away lest we lose it all. The past the path we need to take, one of remembrance, knowledge and understanding, is certainly not the easy road. But it is the only one that can guarantee our democracys ultimate survival. And i am confident that just like generations of americans before us, we are up to the challenge. Armed with our history, well prepared by our past and secure in the knowledge of what we have been through and where were headed, we will triumph in the valiant struggle to promote Constitutional Values and to obtain freedom and justice for all. In the time that ive been here, i am so pleased to see that birmingham is already doing much of this important work. [applause] the commemorative week of which todays Memorial Service is a part not only preserves the history, it brings to life for a new generation the daily struggles and injustices of the not so distant past. Birminghams efforts are part of that long arc bending toward justice and i hope that they will be a model for similar efforts throughout the country. I will close on that optimistic note, for if nothing else, i have faith in our great nation. The people this country have seen challenging times before. And still we rise. [applause] we will link arms and step forward together, past the hate and fear, beyond the darkness of division. Knowing what weve been through will only embolden us to lift ever higher the torch of freedom and fairness, justice and equality. And just as we always have, we will honor those four little girls and all of the historical figures who have paid the ultimate price for our freedom by vigorously upholding the constitution of the United States and the fundamental principles of our union. We willem brace them. We will promote them. And we will protect them, even when it is difficult to do so, especially when it is difficult to do so. And through our efforts, with gods grace, we will continue to push humanity toward the light. God bless you and your families and thank you for the honor of being here today. [applause] one day when the glory comes it will be ours it will be ours oh one day when the war is won we will be strong we will be strong glory glory oh glory oh glory we will cry glory glory hands to the heavens no man no weapons everyday women and men become measures the movement is the rhythm to us freedom is like realto us justice is just a position in us justice for all just aint specific enough one son died first his spirit revisiting us living in us resistance is us thats why rosa sat on the bus thats why we walk through america with our hands up when it goes down we woman and man up they stay down we stand up shots on the ground camera panned up pointed to the mountain top and we ran up one day when the glory comes it will be ours it will be ours oh one day when the war is won we will be sure we will be sure glory glory oh glory glory oh glory glory we will cry glory glory oh glory now the war isnt over victory isnt won we fight on its all been done glory oh glory glory oh glory glory selma is now for every man woman and child even jesus got his crown in front of a crowd they march with a torch were going to run with it now never look back from dark roads heroes facing the league of justice his power was the people enemy is lethal king became regal jim crow under a bald eagle our biggest weapon is to stay peaceful our music is the cut we bleed through somewhere we had an epiphanny now we right the wrongs in history no one can win the war individually takes the wisdom of the elders and young Peoples Energy welcome to the story the coming of the lord mine eyes have seen the glory one day when the glory comes it will be ours it will be ours oh one day when the war is won we will be sure we will be sure crying glory glory well cry glory glory yeah we will cry glory oh glory oh glory glory to god be the glory glory [cheers and applause] today former Vice President mike pence and South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham are among the speakers at a Family ResearchCouncil Summit in washington, d. C. Watch live starting at 2 00 p. M. Eastern on cspan. Cspan now our free mobile video app. Or online at cspan. Org. Cspan is your unfiltered view of government. Were funded by these Television Companies and more. Including spark light. The greatest town on earth is the place yal